


would you let me lead (you can step on my feet)

by mymuseismusic



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dancing, F/F, Lots of dancing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-04-27 22:51:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5067913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mymuseismusic/pseuds/mymuseismusic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Clarke knew it was too good to be true. She knew it was coming and there was nothing she could do to stop it. It was just a matter of when."</p><p>Clarke needs to learn how to dance for her best friend's upcoming wedding. Due to her left feet, she enlists the help of a dance instructor, Lexa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Clarke brushed her fingertips across the white material, letting it flow and fall as she moved her hand across. Her eyes wandered over the intricate patterns on the neckline of one particular dress.

 

“Clarke. Give me a hand?”

 

Raven called her name from behind the dressing room curtain. Clarke turned away from the wedding dresses and waited for her best friend.

 

“Raven, it’s a private room. You can come out here.”

 

Raven stuck her head out, her hair in disarray. “Excuse me for wanting to keep taking your breath away, Griffin.”

 

Clarke rolled her eyes. “Raven, this is your final fitting.”

 

Octavia walked into the dressing room with two flutes of champagne in both hands. “I do love how they give this out complimentary.”

 

The three women were at a small wedding dress boutique for Raven’s last wedding dress fitting. And they were all nervous as hell. Raven was finally getting married to her college sweetheart of six years, Bellamy Blake.

 

The two had actually met through his sister, Octavia. Octavia was Clarke and Raven’s third roommate in their second year of college and Bellamy was helping her move in. Raven threatened him with a screwdriver when he almost dropped a box onto one of her robotics projects at the time. The two began arguing for what seemed like forever. Clarke and Octavia stood by, boxes in hand, wide-eyed at the pair. Overtime, the two moved past their mutual annoyance of the other and somehow went on a date. Though that date ended up being a disaster…

 

It had taken some convincing from both Bellamy and Raven for Octavia to be okay with the idea of them dating, but her stubbornness eventually broke down, and she embraced the couple happily. Six years later, when Bellamy confessed to his idea of proposing, Octavia just punched him in the arm and whispered, “About time.”

 

Now here the two were, about to become sister-in-laws, and Octavia couldn’t be more proud. Actually, scratch that, she’d be proud _after_ the ceremony. But right now, Raven was hell-bent on making sure everything was absolute perfection. So naturally, her bridesmaids had to make sure all went to plan. Which had proved to be more difficult then they initially thought. The final two weeks before a wedding are do or die. And Clarke and Octavia were trying their hardest to stay alive and make it to the ‘I do’s.’

 

“Raven, just get out here. The tailor’s waiting for you.” The elderly man stood by the entrance of the room, smiling with a tape measure around his neck.

 

Clarke and Octavia moved to the couches that circled the center where Raven was supposed to stand. They sat down, Octavia handing the second flute of champagne to Clarke.

 

“Alright, I’m coming out.”

 

Raven pulled back the curtain with a grin on her face. “I look hot.” Raven was right about both things. She was hot. And no matter how many times they saw the dress, Clarke and Octavia were still blown away by how beautiful Raven looked in it. The dress was a long, A-line gown with a ruched satin bodice, and a strapless, sweetheart neckline. The dress had a small train that flowed out perfectly as she walked out.

 

“My brother is going to faint when he sees you.”

 

Raven beamed at Octavia’s comment and gave them a thumbs up with the hand that wasn’t holding her dress up. “I’m counting on that. And you better make sure that the videographer gets it.”

 

She walked over to the center of the room and stood still, facing the mirrors lined in front of her. The tailor walked over and knelt down beside Raven.

 

“I’m going to check if I need to make any last minute adjustments, Ms. Reyes. But other than that, I think we’ll be fine here.” He commented.

 

Raven smiled down at the elderly man and turned her head to her friends. “This is actually happening.”

 

Clarke gave her an excited smile. But as Raven turned back to the mirror, Clarke stared at her best friend, a small sadness behind the blonde’s blue eyes. She was happy for Raven. Nothing would change that. The two had talked about their own weddings since they were little and scraping their knees on the playground. And now, it was actually coming true. For one of them. Clarke never complained about her love life. She didn’t really have time for one, as she was finishing up medical school. She devoted what time she had to studying and pushing herself to further her career. But there was still that part in her heart that ached. Ached for the smile Raven had on as she looked at herself in the mirror, knowing she was going to marry the one person she wanted to be with forever.

 

“Two weeks…” Raven whispered as the tailor zipped up her dress.

 

Octavia reached over the couch and took Clarke’s hand, squeezing it. “And we’ve got you covered, Raven.”

 

Raven turned and smiled at the two women. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she remembered something. “Oh, Clarke!”

 

Octavia let go of Clarke’s hand and gestured her to walk over to the bride to be. Clarke stood up and made her way over to Raven.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Well I wanted to ask you something. As my maid of honor and as my best friend.” Raven looked down at the tailor, “I’m sorry, but can you give us a moment?” She asked politely.

 

He smiled up at her and nodded. “Just give me a shout.” Then he stood up and walked out of the room.

 

Clarke could tell she was turning this into something serious. Clarke quickly found a small table behind her and put down her flute. She turned back to her friend and crossed her arms. “I’m here. What’s up?”

 

Raven uncrossed Clarke’s hands and took them in her own. “Clarke, you know that my dad has never been in my life, the dick.” She laughed softly. “But you have. For as long as I can remember. And you’ve done more for me as my best friend than anyone.”

 

Clarke smiled at her friend and squeezed her hands.

 

“So after my first dance with Bellamy,” Raven took a breath, “I want to dance with you. In place of the whole father-daughter one. What do you say?” She stared at Clarke with unsure eyes, waiting for her response.

 

Clarke’s mouth dropped a little in surprise. Her mind went blank as she processed Raven’s words. But she didn’t even need her brain to make a decision. She nodded furiously.

 

“I-I’d be honored, Raven. Oh my god, yes!” Clarke reached out to her best friend and pulled her close, mindful of the dress. Raven let out a tearful breath as she tightened her grip around Clarke’s shoulders. She pressed her face into the crook of her neck. “Thank you, Clarke.”

 

They pulled away and Clarke wiped the tears that were beginning to form. Raven laughed as she did the same.

 

“Look at us, a couple of saps.” Raven cracked her neck and clapped her hands. “Alright, let’s call the tailor back in here and finish this up! We have to head out after this and stop by the florist really quick. Oh and Clarke, the wedding planner is going to call you tomorrow to confirm the date for you and Octavia’s dress fittings.”

 

Raven turned and left to stand back in the center of the room, leaving Clarke standing by herself.

 

Octavia stood up and sent Raven a smile before walking over to Clarke who was admiring her best friend with a glazed look over her face.

 

“You can tell Raven’s really excited.”

 

Clarke nodded. “Yeah, she is.”

 

Octavia bit her lip. “Now you have another problem added to your list.”

 

Clarke looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

 

“So you learned already? I’m impressed, Clarke.”

 

“What?”

 

Clarke couldn’t figure out what Octavia meant at all. Octavia looked her up and down and laughed. “Oh damn. It’ll hit you.” And then she walked away, sipping her champagne.

 

Clarke was stuck there, her feet planted. She racked her brain trying to figure out what she had forgotten. Clarke had made an extensive and detailed checklist of all the things they needed to get done by the wedding. On top of that, Clarke had a backup list for Bellamy’s duties. What could she have possibly forgotten?

 

And then it hit her like a freight train.

 

Clarke couldn’t dance.

 

 

13 Days Until The Wedding…

 

Clarke sat at a table, waiting for her coffee order to be called. She had her laptop open and was frantically searching for dance studios that offered private lessons.

 

Of course Clarke had expected to dance at Raven’s wedding. Just after a couple of drinks in her system and in a large crowd. Not at the beginning of the reception. And in front of all their family and friends with video cameras capturing every moment. Clarke couldn’t dance to save her _life_. She mentally cursed her parents for giving her two left feet.

 

She heard her phone ring from her purse and pulled it out to see Octavia calling.

 

“Yeah?” Clarke rested her head onto her hand and sighed.

 

“Well hello to you too.”

 

“I’m not in the mood, Octavia.”

 

Clarke could hear her laugh. “Alright, alright. I was just calling to let you know that Bellamy and the guys’ tuxedos are ready. But Miller or Lincoln can’t pick them up today.”

 

Clarke let out a sigh of relief. “Great. Thanks for letting me know. Call your brother and have him pick them up.”

 

“No problem. I shall relay the message. By the way, how’s your dancing problem going?”

 

Clarke heard the barista call her name. She walked over to the counter and grabbed the cup. Straight up black coffee was much needed right now.

 

“It isn’t going.” She groaned. “I’m trying to find a studio with a private teacher.”

 

Octavia laughed. “Ah I see…private lessons.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

Clarke took a sip form her coffee and ignored the small burn on her tongue. She continued searching through the results on her laptop, coming up with nothing. She was right about to give up and prepare to apologize to Raven for stepping on her toes when a studio popped up.

 

“I think I have something.”

 

“Awesome. What’s it like?”

 

Clarke quickly scanned the website for all the information. “The Polis Dance Studio. They offer private lessons and have really flexible hours. And it’s not far from here.

 

Clarke read through the comment section. They all praised the teachers and offered descriptions of the classes in detail. “They’ve got great reviews.”

 

“There you go!”

 

Clarke checked the times that the classes began and looked at her watch. “If I leave now, I think I can catch the current instructor before their next class.”

 

“Then get a move on. Oh!” Octavia lowered her voice. “Tell me if they’re hot.”

 

Clarke rolled her eyes. She tucked her phone between her ear and shoulder to pack up her things. “That’s not the purpose of this, Octavia.”

 

Clarke could practically feel Octavia’s staring at her through the phone.

 

“You need to get laid, Clarke. Remember Finn? Sure he was an ass, but at least he was a good fuck.”

 

“Alright, I’m hanging up now.”

 

“But-”

 

“Call me if something comes up.” And then Clarke pressed the end call button and put away her phone.

 

She walked a couple of blocks, but her feet were already tired. And she really needed to take off her blazer. That’s what running up and down the city on a summer day for your best friend will do.  


She finally came onto the street that the dance studio was on. She walked slowly, counting the numbers on the buildings, until she came up to 214 Polis Dance Studio. The letters were old and the paint was starting to chip off. The one story building had glass windows that stretched along the front. Multicolored handprints covered the bottom parts of the mirrors. Clarke could immediately tell they belonged to kids. Unfortunately, the blinds were pulled down, not letting her peek in.

 

Clarke looked down at her watch. 3:48 PM. She made it. Clarke took a deep breath and reached for the door handle. She pulled it open and was met with a soft instrumental song. The lights were bright and Clarke could see a figure moving in the farthest part of the studio. Clarke walked forward a bit and stood next to the desk at the front and just watched.

 

It was a woman and she was dancing, her eyes closed. Clarke almost felt like she was intruding on a private moment. But she couldn’t look away. She was entranced.

 

This woman was moving so fluidly, Clarke felt she was watching a ribbon float in the wind. The moon as it pushed and pulled the ocean. Her body flowed with the music, spinning and bending to match the change in the notes. She made it look effortless. The dancer then leapt into the air from her right foot and turned her body in the air. But as she turned, her eyes opened and locked with Clarke’s.

 

Clarke’s breath caught in her chest.

 

The dancer broke the gaze and landed on her other foot, stepping into the end of her dance gracefully.

 

When she looked back up, Clarke smiled at her. She raised her voice to talk over the music that was still playing. “Hello!” Clarke gave her a small wave.

 

She responded with an index finger in the air, in a ‘one sec’ gesture.

 

The dancer smiled and walked over to her. And Clarke got a better look at the woman. And fuck was she attractive. Her dark hair was in a bun that was beginning to come undone from the dancing, leaving loose strands falling around her face. She was wearing a tank top that had slightly ridden up her stomach and a pair of loose fitting sweatpants that hung around her trim waist. Sweat was dripping down her neck and onto her chest, which Clarke certainly did _not_ stare at.

 

The brunette stepped up to the counter and reached over the desk, which exposed her toned back. Clarke looked up at the ceiling because dear god, she was about to explode. She silently cursed herself because she could feel the tips of her ears burning.

 

Then the music shut off and the stranger turned back to face Clarke, a towel in her hands.

 

“Hello.” Her breath came out short. She quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead with the towel.

 

Clarke’s throat tightened. “Hi.”

 

“My name’s Lexa. What can I do for you?” Lexa smiled at Clarke.

 

Lexa. Clarke couldn’t help the small flutter of her heart. The name repeated itself over, filling her mind. Clarke licked her lips. Focus.

 

“I actually wanted to see if I could sign up for dance lessons.”

 

Lexa opened her mouth, but Clarke continued, the mental dam in her mind cracking.

 

“You see. My best friend is getting married in less than two weeks. And to be honest, I can’t dance for shit. And I’m going to make a complete fool of myself at her wedding. And I want this to be the most special day of her life. It needs to be. I can’t mess that up for her-”

 

Lexa put up her hands, to try and get Clarke to stop rambling. “O-Okay.” She paused and gave her a questioning look.

 

“Clarke. Sorry. My name is Clarke Griffin”

 

Lexa let out a tiny laugh. “Okay, Clarke. I can help you out with your situation. I’m an instructor here.”

 

“Really? Thank you!” Clarke wanted to practically tackle Lexa into a hug, but that would probably be a really bad idea. She didn’t want to freak out her dance instructor just minutes after meeting her.

 

“We get a lot of people that need to learn to dance for weddings, so you’re not alone. Summer weddings are really popular. Right now I think I’m instructing three couples for their first dances.”

 

Lexa walked around the L-shaped desk and took out a binder and started scanning the pages. “Okay, so we have several dance instructors here. And our private lessons are 90 minutes each. What times would you be available?”

 

Clarke thought about it briefly. Most of the errands she had to run with Raven and Octavia were in the morning and late afternoon. “Can I come in everyday at 2:30?”

 

Lexa stared at her with a confused look. “Everyday?”

 

“Can I be honest with you, Lexa? I’m _really_ bad at dancing.” Clarke explained.

 

Lexa looked like she got the hint.

 

“How many days until the wedding?”

 

“Thirteen.”

 

Lexa nodded slowly. “Alright, I’m assuming the standard waltz. Or did you have another dance in mind?”

 

“No, the waltz is perfect. It doesn’t even have to be that much. I just want to be able to move my feet enough with my best friend that I don’t embarrass her. Maybe throw in a couple of turns or something.”

 

“With our lessons, I can guarantee that you will.”

 

Clarke beamed. This woman was a godsend. While they were cutting it close to the date, Clarke was sure she could learn enough in time. How hard could it be to learn to turn a couple of times? She happily checked off one more thing from her constantly changing mental checklist. She’d cross the physical one off later.

 

Together, they sorted out the terms of payment and finalized Clarke’s lesson schedule. And Clarke most definitely did _not_ spend the entire time staring at Lexa’s lips while she was explaining what to wear.

 

“So, you’re all set.” Lexa closed the binder.

 

“Thank you so much. This is going to mean a lot to my friend.”

 

Clarke heard the door open and saw several couples walk into the studio. They waved at Lexa and sat down on the chairs by the front desk to change their shoes.

 

“That’s my cue.”

 

“So, I’ll see be here tomorrow then. 2:30.”

 

Lexa stuck out her hand, which Clarke took gladly. She shook it and gave her a soft smile. “There were some changes with work hours. But there will be an instructor here waiting.”

 

Clarke nodded and let go of the handshake and took her purse off the countertop. Lexa turned away and walked around the desk towards the group of couples. “How are we all doing today? Mrs. Kane, how’s your garden?”

 

Clarke gave one final glance at Lexa who had begun leading them into some stretches before walking out of the dance studio. Deep down, Clarke hoped that it would be Lexa who’d be here to greet her tomorrow. Clarke shook her head. She had to go into this with a clear head and not with a blossoming crush on the dance instructor. At the same time, where was the harm? Clarke stared down the sidewalk and took out her phone, ready to tackle another item on her pre-wedding checklist.

 

 

12 Days Until The Wedding…

 

Clarke was late. It was 2:48 and she impatiently tapped her fingers on the seat of the taxi she was currently sitting in. The wedding planner called Clarke in the morning to confirm her and Octavia’s final bridesmaids fitting, but what she _failed_ to mention was that the appointment was also the same day at 2:00. So Clarke scrambled to get Octavia and together they rushed to the boutique to finish their alterations. Clarke quickly changed into her dance clothes, leggings and a long-sleeved white shirt, and caught a taxi. And damn it, there shouldn’t have been this much traffic!

 

Clarke looked out the window and noticed she was just two blocks away. “Thank you, but I can just get out here.” She handed the driver the necessary bills and got out of the taxi and began jogging to the studio. She reached the building at 2:56, completely out of breath.

 

She opened the door and let out a sigh of relief that they had the air-conditioning on as she walked in. She turned to the chairs and shelves on the left and began putting her stuff down.

 

“Hey there, 2:30.” A voice called out, teasingly.

 

Clarke whipped her head around and saw Lexa sitting down behind the desk, a laptop open in front of her.

 

“I was about to think you weren’t going to show up.”

 

“I’m so sorry. There was an unscheduled dress fitting and a lot of running.” Clarke explained. She knew how bad this looked, being half an hour late to her first dance lesson. She quickly looked around and noticed there wasn’t anyone else in the studio.

 

“Are- Are you my dance teacher?”

 

Lexa stood up, closing her laptop and smiled. “Yup. Now, we only have an hour to get started. So,” she gestured to the dance floor, “let’s do it.” She made her way over and Clarke couldn’t help her eyes falling down to her butt. Fuck. She was going to be spending an hour and a half with this woman everyday, dancing with each other.

 

Clarke finished putting away her things and walked over to the center of the studio by Lexa. They hadn’t even started and Clarke already knew she was going to make a fool of herself. Lexa knew that Clarke didn’t know how to dance, so why was she already feeling so embarrassed. Like Lexa said, a lot of people signed up for help. But her nerves got the better of her as she stepped up to face Lexa.

 

“Breath, Clarke.” Lexa laughed as she pulled her hair into a bun. She was wearing a white v-neck and black leggings. “I’m not about to torture you or anything.”

 

Clarke released a nervous breath. “Yeah.” She looked down at the ground and took in a deep breath of air.

 

“I realize you said you’re bad at dancing, but do you happen to have _any_ prior dance experience?”

 

Clarke rocked on the balls of her feet and pursed her lips. “Well, at the end of my freshman winter ball, my date needed to get three stitches. Does that count?” Clarke remembered that night as if it were yesterday. Clarke had tried some sort of spin and ended up knocking her date into the drinks table. They were driven by one of the teachers to the E.R. Clarke’s mom had been on call, so the night had been sufficiently awkward as she asked what had happened and put in the stitches.

 

Lexa’s eyes widened at how normal Clarke made the incident sound. “Ouch. Lucky guy.”

 

Clarke shrugged her shoulders. “Considering that she broke up with me the next day, I don’t think she felt as lucky. ” Clarke let the pronoun slip off her tongue easily. She watched for any reaction from the dance instructor for a sign that she did or didn’t care. Clarke had no idea if Lexa was interested in girls, but god, at least Clarke was giving her something to work with. Lexa just quickly clenched her jaw and nodded.

 

“Then it’s a good thing that I can take a hit.”

 

She joked with her. Clarke assumed that meant Lexa didn’t mind her liking girls. That’s a start. But to what, Clarke was still unsure.

 

“We’re going to start with the most basic step of the waltz. Closed position. Who would lead, you or your friend?”

 

“I guess I would.”

 

“For teaching purposes, I’ll lead to start. Then you can learn and switch later on.” Lexa took a step closer to Clarke and held out her left hand. “So what you’re going to do is take your right hand and place it in mine.”

 

Clarke’s throat went dry and she did as she was told, taking Lexa’s left hand with her right. Lexa lifted their hands up to Clarke’s shoulder level, away from their bodies.

 

“Now, I’m going to place my right hand on your back, beneath your shoulder blade. Then, you are going to rest your left hand on the top of my bicep, near the shoulder. Okay?” Lexa’s words slowly faded as Clarke felt her hand begin to place itself on her back. The support and pressure on her back was warm and Clarke felt like she could melt into the woman.

 

Now that Lexa had her close, Clarke raised her left arm and gently placed it on her shoulder. “You can rest it on top of my arm for support.” Lexa pointed out and wiggled her right elbow up and down making Clarke laugh. “This isn’t a competition. It’s just for you two, so you can afford to be closer.”

 

Lexa pressed her hand on Clarke’s back, moving her closer. Clarke’s fingertips were wrapped around the dancer’s arm. She rested her arm on Lexa’s. She could feel the brunette’s toned arm muscles through her shirt. And Clarke wanted nothing more than to drag her hands underneath the white cotton and feel them flex beneath her fingers.

 

“Perfect Closed Position.” Lexa smiled down at her. That damn one-inch height difference. Clarke’s blue eyes flickered up to meet Lexa’s green ones. Their face’s were about three inches away from each other and Clarke noticed that Lexa had a couple of cute light freckles on the bridge of her nose. She glanced down and Lexa’s lips were parted.

 

Clarke glanced at the mirrors around them and couldn’t help but notice how well they looked together.

 

“Now, the Box Step.”

 

“Hmm?” Clarke’s eyes snapped away from the mirror of her and looked back up at Lexa.

 

“The next step.”

 

“Alright, lay it on me.” Clarke readjusted her grip on Lexa’s hand and bounced a couple of times on the tips of her toes, psyching herself up.

 

“At the wedding, you don’t want to be looking at your feet, but for right now, it’s alright.” Clarke and Lexa both brought their heads down and stared at their shoes.

 

“Now the lead - that’s me - will step forward with their left foot. Then whoever is in your position will step back with their right. So, I’ll be stepping into you.” Lexa squeezed Clarke’s hand. “Here we go.” Lexa stepped forward with her left. “And back.” Clarke stepped back with her right. Their bodies were diagonal from the other and Clarke swore that their hips were so close to touching. All she would have to do was move her leg.

 

“Great. Let’s repeat that one more time.” And they did. “Now, adding on.”

 

They stayed in the step as Lexa explained. “After I move my left foot forward, I’m going to bring my right foot to the side, but not touching together. As my right touches the ground, I’m going to bring my left and put them together. You’re going to mirror me.”

 

Lexa took a breath. “In your case, as your right foot moves back, you’re going to bring your left foot to the side.”

 

Clarke arched her eyebrow. “You’re losing me.” Who knew that dancing involved this much complexity? Maybe she was just a really slow learner. Lexa could probably teach these steps to a 6 year-old much faster.

 

Lexa bit her lip and looked up, thinking. “Okay, so the beat of the step is this: boom-tick-tick, boom-tick-tick, boom-tick-tick. The booms are you stepping backward and the tick-ticks are your side step and closing.”

 

Clarke nodded slowly, starting to understand it. She was also laughing internally at Lexa saying tick-tick with a straight face. How was this woman so serious and adorable at the same time?

 

“How about I show you from your position?” Lexa offered, dropping their hands.

 

“Yeah, please.”

 

Lexa turned her back to Clarke and imitated her dance posture. “Boom.” She stepped back with her right. “Tick” She brought her left foot to the side. “Tick.” Then brought her right to meet the other, now together.

 

She repeated the step from Clarke’s perspective a few more times. “Want to try it together?”

 

“Alright, but can you do the boom thing as we do it?”

 

“Sure.”

 

Lexa brought them back into closed position and counted. Clarke focused on the beat, trying to remember where to step. And they began. Clarke stumbled a few times, attempting to match her steps to Lexa’s counts. But eventually, she got it right. “I’m getting it, holy shit.”

 

Lexa beamed at Clarke’s excited voice. “We’re halfway there. We just have to close the box. Then we can put it to music.”

 

Clarke stretched her arms overhead and grinned. “I’m so ready. Let’s close this freaking box.” If Clarke wasn’t paying attention, she would’ve missed Lexa quickly lick her lips.

 

“Now, I’m going to step back with my right and you step forward with your left.”

 

“Boom.”

 

“After you move forward, step your right foot to the side, then bring your left to meet it.”

 

“Tick-tick.”

 

“You got it.”

 

They entered closed position and began. Everything was going well up to the part they had already practiced. The new addition is what got her. Clarke knew it was too good to be true. She knew it was coming and there was nothing she could do to stop it. It was just a matter of when. As Lexa stepped back with her right, Clarke miscalculated the distance and stepped too far. Her left foot came down on Lexa’s toes, earning a cry from the dance teacher.

 

“Ah!” Lexa yelped and dropped their hands, moving away.

 

“Oh crap!” Clarke covered her mouth in surprise. “I am so sorry!”

 

Lexa was bent over, pressing down on her foot. Her eyes were shut as she waved off Clarke with the opposite hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

 

“Are you sure? Do you need ice or something?”

 

Lexa shook her head. She stood up and put weight on the leg. “Comes with the job.” She wiggled her foot a few times before looking up at Clarke and giving her a reassuring smile. “See? No damage done.”

 

“Except to my pride.” Clarke muttered to herself.

 

Lexa waved her back over. “Then come on and redeem yourself. Get the entire box step,” she challenged.

 

Clarke approached Lexa cautiously; afraid she was going to step on her again. It was bad enough that she was stepping on her dance instructor. Stepping on the woman who she finds extremely attractive just doubled Clarke’s embarrassment.

 

Lexa outstretched her hand, beckoning Clarke to take it. As soon as her fingertips brushed the dancer’s palm, a wave of warmth flowed through her. Lexa took the initiative and enveloped Clarke’s right hand, pulling her close. Clarke was left breathless. A strong hand encased her into the embrace, anchoring her into the dance position. Clarke placed her hand on Lexa’s shoulder and nodded for her to begin leading.

 

Lexa started counting out the booms and ticks. Clarke swallowed the lump in her throat. And then they danced.

 

There were a lot of things that made Clarke nervous in her life. They included mostly her academics and starting her residency. But attempting this box step was beginning to climb that list very quickly. The dance studio was silent apart from the taps of the pair’s shoes.

 

Clarke made it through to the part they previously left off on. She looked down at her feet and willed them to make it to the end. Clarke could feel her heart beat faster as the part approached. Lexa stepped backwards and lead Clarke to follow. Clarke stepped forward and they met perfectly into each other. Then they stepped to the side and completed the dance, their steps matching in sync to Lexa’s final two ticks.

 

“I did it! I fucking did it.” Clarke said in astonishment. She backed away from Lexa and pumped her fist into the air.

 

She checked on Lexa, assessing her up and down for damage. But the brunette was just staring at her with a proud and amused smile on her face.

 

“Congratulations, Clarke.” Lexa laughed as the blonde continued to celebrate.

 

“I’m on a roll. We can finally put it to music!” Clarke suggested, excitement fueling her. The thought of actually dancing to music without tripping over her own feet propelled her to tackle the next phase.

 

Lexa’s eyes briefly flickered behind Clarke’s head. “Actually, it seems our time has run out for the day.”

 

Clarke turned around and saw a clock hanging above the mirrors on the wall. It was already 4:00. Had one hour passed without Clarke feeling it?  

 

Clarke frowned. A part of her saddened at stopping right when she just started getting the step. Another part was sad because she had to leave Lexa. Just an hour with her and Clarke was already in deep.

 

“We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.” Lexa assured her.

 

Lexa continued on to explain the plan of tomorrow’s class. They would review the steps they had learned today, put them to music, and practice a few more moves.  

 

Clarke faced Lexa and gave her a reassuring smile. “Thank you. I know we have still have a couple of classes to go, “ Clarke swallowed, “but seriously, thank you.”

 

“Hey, you can thank me after your friend’s wedding. You’ll be a professional by then.” Lexa winked at her.

 

Clarke’s breath hitched. She could feel her face begin to blush so the next _logical_ decision was to turn away and walk to the front of the studio without saying anything until she was a safe distance away from Lexa.

 

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Clarke called over her shoulder. She picked up her bags from the shelves and fished for her cellphone in her purse, ready to see Raven’s texts about any upcoming plans.

 

“2:30. I’ll be here.” Clarke heard Lexa’s footsteps follow after her. She turned around when she reached the door to see Lexa leaning against the front desk.

 

“And I’ll make sure to be here on time.” Clarke stood by the door, not quite ready to leave. This first class, while a bit embarrassing, left Clarke with a beaming smile on her face and feeling light on her feet. Though she’d be back tomorrow, she didn’t want it to end yet. So she lingered, shifting her feet.

 

“Goodbye, Clarke. Have a nice rest of the day.” Lexa hopped onto the desk and sat down, swinging her legs. Then she gave her a small wave.

 

“You too, Lexa.” Clarke gave her one last smile and pushed the door open, the hot sun shining onto her face.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the one year anniversary of Lexa's death. May we meet again

11 Days Until The Wedding…

Clarke’s alarm went off at 8:30 that morning with the Imperial March from Star Wars blasting from her phone. Why she let Raven pick out her alarm, Clarke will never know. She let out a muffled groan as the music blared throughout her room. She grabbed the pillow from underneath her head and threw it at the dresser where her phone was and heard it fall to the floor. After a few more seconds of laying in the warm sheets, Clarke moved to the side of her bed and reached down to pick up her phone, finally hitting snooze on the alarm. 

She sat up in her bed and let out a big yawn, shaking the rest of the sleepiness out of her system. She cast a glance at her phone and saw that Raven had already texted her several times about what they had to get done today: confirm delivery times with the caterer, check in with the bakery, and triple check guest RSVPs with the wedding planner. A pretty light day considering what they normally had planned, but with a wedding, anything can happen at anytime so she was prepared to do much later in the afternoon. 

Clarke quickly ran through the entire schedule and smiled to herself as she thought of her dance lesson in the afternoon. The fact that she was going to see Lexa later today made Clarke’s face brighten. She felt like a little kid excited to go to the playground to see her crush. Except they were actually grown women and she had only known the dance instructor for two days. 

Technicalities. 

Clarke bit her lip and let out a tiny sigh as she fell back onto the bed, sinking into the pillows. She closed her eyes and just let her mind drift, imagining her and Lexa alone in the studio dancing to some romantic song. 

Her romantic daydream was suddenly interrupted with the Imperial March blasting loudly from her hand. 

“Alright alright.” Clarke mumbled to herself.

And with that, she rolled off her bed, ready to start the insanity that would be today.

 

\---

 

“So it turns out, Lincoln’s been taking dancing lessons too. I mean, the betrayal.”

“Octavia, it’s not a big deal.”

“Sorry I thought my boyfriend didn’t have two left feet like someone I know…”

“Hey!” Clarke slapped her arm.

“Ow!” 

Several eyes turned to away from their cake samples and looked at the two women.

“Sorry.” Clarke apologized with an awkward smile. She swore they were out here waiting for the baker for hours now.

“Yeah well at least he’s getting a discount. Turns out one of his old friends teaches at a studio. Miller knows the place too actually.”

“Oh well that’s good.” Clarke said absentmindedly, looking around for the baker.

“Aw, if I had known my boyfriend was lacking in the dancing department, you two should have teamed up! Actually never mind, two people with left feet trying to dance…I wouldn’t wanna give that instructor hell incarnate.”

“You’re just packing on the insults today, aren’t you?” 

“Sorry if my feet are killing me and I really wanna eat those samples that are sitting right fuckin' there.”

“Hey, at least this is one last thing we have to do in two days.”

“Pfft, I’m sure Raven will find something for us to fill that slot.” Octavia commented.

Clarke looked down at her phone, checking the time as she continued the wait. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized she was still going to be on time, if not early for her lesson with Lexa. She smiled at the thought.

“Ooh, I know that smile.” Octavia poked at her side.

“What smile?”

“Don’t act all oblivious.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Clarke stuck her tongue out at the brunette.

Octavia stared at her blankly, not buying a word. “Really? Cause the Clarke Griffin I know would be complaining nonstop about how horrible and draining her dance lessons are going. But here you are and not one bad thing to say? I don’t buy it.”

“Well maybe I just really found a liking for dance,” Clarke shot back.

“Bullshit.” Octavia eyed her suspiciously. “Alright, don’t tell me. But it’ll come out sooner or later.” A loud ding rang out from Octavia’s phone.

“Fuck yeah!” She fist pumped.

“What?”

“Check the group-chat.”

“Really? You can’t just tell me?”

Octavia wasn’t paying attention, texting back with excitement.

Clarke sighed and pulled out her phone and saw a couple of texts from Raven.

#1 Bride: We’re going out tonight

#1 Bride: I need a drink, bad

The Better Blake: Repeat of the bachelorette party?? ;)

“O, absolutely no. Not this close to the wedding.” Clarke scolded her.

“Ugh fine.”

The Better Blake: Never mind, captain buzzkill said we can’t

Clarke G: Meet up around 8

“I wonder what’s got Raven like this.”

“My brother probably pissed her off.” Octavia shrugged

The baker made his way to the pair, apologizing for keeping them waiting. Clarke focused her attention on him and making sure everything was ready for the reception instead of the brunette waiting to hold her in her arms.

Fuck, Clarke, what a sap.

\---

 

Luckily, the rest of the wedding agenda ran smoothly and Clarke was actually on time. The baker was on schedule with the cake and his delivery time was set. The wedding planner had confirmed the RSVPs, dinner choices, and even left them time to squeeze in a coffee break. 

And now it was time to see L- time for her dance lesson.

Clarke walked into the dance studio with a bounce in her step and was met with a hilarious sight. Lexa was sitting behind the desk furiously wiping a large purple stain on her white shirt with a wet paper towel. 

“Oh, that’s gonna be fun getting out.” Clarke cringed at the stain. She walked over to the desk and looked down, seeing that a pen’s ink cartridge had exploded. “Did you and the pen get into fight?”

“Yes we did actually. You should’ve been here. It was a battle to the death.”

“Damn,” Clarke winked.

After another minute of trying to wipe off the stain, Lexa gave up. “I’m gonna change really fast and then we can get started.”

“Okay, no worries. So what’s on the agenda today?”

Lexa quickly ducked under the desk and pulled out her duffle bag, and began searching through clothes. “I was thinking of having you and I do all the steps without me counting a few times and then maybe putting it to music.” 

“Aw damn, I thought we’d do music for sure today.” Clarke turned to protest but before she could register what was happening, Lexa was taking her shirt off. 

And Clarke froze. 

Lexa pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a toned stomach with slightly defined abs, that left Clarke wanting nothing more than to run her hands down them. And soon Lexa was in nothing more than a tight black sports bra. She could make out a tiny bit of sweat trickling down from her neck to her collarbone. Clarke’s eyes followed, casting her eyes to her chest. Clarke’s throat went dry, clenching her jaw. 

Lexa wasn’t paying any attention. “I know you think you’re ready for music, Clarke, but trust me. It’s going to be distracting the first few times.”

Clarke bit her lip, trying to maintain some level of composure. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Lexa pulled out a black v-neck and put it on, much to Clarke’s displeasure. 

“Stain free,” Lexa grinned.

“Yeah.” Clarke let out a nervous chuckle. 

“Alright, let’s get started.” Lexa walked them to the middle of the dance floor.

“Okay.” Clarke squeaked, trying to push away the sight of Lexa half naked.

“Starting position.” Lexa pulled Clarke in and placed her hand on the small of her back. Clarke dry swallowed, reveling in how tight and secure Lexa made her feel just by holding her. They were so close; it would take the smallest step forward to press against the other.

“And here we go. First few times with me and then no counting.”

Clarke nodded, trying to focus.

“Boom, tick tick.” 

An hour later and a half later…

“Yeah, there’s no way we’re starting music this lesson.” 

“Hey! That’s insulting!”

Lexa held in a laugh. “I’m sorry, Clarke but you still haven’t perfected the steps. You were doing well towards the last class. Is something distracting you?”

Apart from her dance instructor’s ridiculously sexy abs that Clarke wanted to lick and a wedding taking place in less than two weeks…

“No not really,” Clarke lied. “I guess I’m just off today.”

“Well, we can pick it up again tomorrow and see where you’re at.”

Lexa touched Clarke’s arm softly, “Hey don’t get discouraged. You’ve improved tremendously in just these couple of days.”

Clarke felt goose bumps form on her arm as Lexa’s hand lingered on her skin. 

“Thanks.” 

“You know what I think will help?” Lexa brought her fingers to her chin, thinking. “I think you just need to loosen up.”

Clarke was taken aback. “Loosen up? I’ll have you know I’m always loose.”

Lexa’s eyes widened teasingly.

“Not like- you know what I mean.” 

Lexa laughed, “I mean your body tenseness. No offense, but you can be a bit stiff. Dancing is about freedom. As much fun as the robot is, it’s not helping here.”

Clarke shrugged. “Alright, what do you suggest?”

Lexa smirked, “Next class, we’re having fun.”

“That’s really vague.” Clarke deadpanned. “Because clearly, we’re having so much fun right now.” Clarke stated sarcastically

“Freestyle.” Lexa bobbed her head, excitedly. “No limits, or holding back. Whatever your body feels like doing.”

Clarke could think of a couple of things she wanted her body to do.

 

\---

 

10 Days Until The Wedding…

 

Clarke approached the door and realized it was being held open with a small stool. She could hear Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” echoing from the studio. 

Clarke stepped into the building and saw a crowd of parents standing in the waiting area by the front desk with wide smiles on their faces, clapping along with the music.

“Here we go!” Lexa’s voice called out.

Clarke looked past the crowd and saw Lexa standing in front of a large group of kids, no older than six years old. Clarke’s dance instructor, who she thought was serious and professional was there jumping up and down with her arms waving in the air and making silly faces. Messy hair bun that no doubt had been pulled a couple of times by tiny hands and a stained tee that most definitely looked like a mix of peanut butter and jelly. She had the largest and most sincere smile on her face as she encouraged the kids to dance. 

The chorus hit and tiny screams of joy filled the air as small feet shifted awkwardly and butts wiggled. Some younger kids had trouble keeping the beat and stomped their feet adorably.

Lexa sang along, “Oh I wanna dance with somebody!” She crouched down nodded her head to the beat, grinning at one little girl. The small girl reached to Lexa to be picked up, which Lexa obliged. She scooped her into her arms and stood up bouncing her to the music. The little girl let out a squeal of excitement. Every single child had the biggest smile on their faces, staring up at Lexa.

Clarke beamed at the sight and began clapping along with the rest of the parents. Lexa was the sexiest person Clarke had ever laid eyes on, but right now? This was the most adorable scene Clarke had ever witnessed. Lexa was just cute. And Clarke couldn’t help the feeling in her heart as she saw the brunette smiling at the children around her.

“Don’t you wanna dance? Say you wanna dance!” Lexa sang.

Another dance instructor had the kids form into a circle around Lexa as they all held hands, jumping up and down. The song was reaching its end, when Lexa called out, “Ready?” 

And then tiny voices yelled out, “With somebody who loves me!” Then all the children softly fell onto the floor as the song faded out. Lexa had dramatically fallen onto her butt in the middle of the circle, still carrying the little girl. 

The crows of parents erupted into applause. 

“This dance teacher, Lexa, is Elle’s favorite. She always comes home wanting to show us what she taught her.” One of the parents commented, still clapping.

“It’s clear why. She’s amazing with them.”

Clarke agreed and clapped along, her heart swelling with adoration. 

Lexa sat the little girl down and stood up to face the parents. “Hello, everyone! Sorry we didn’t see you there. We were just having a bit too much fun, right guys!” 

“Yeah!” Little cheers and claps followed. 

Clarke swears she’s never seen anyone smile this much in a couple of minutes.

“Okay everyone.” Lexa stretched her arms out. “Let’s stand up.”

Every single kid followed, clearly tired, but still beaming with excitement. 

“Time for stretches! And…” Lexa lead them through a couple of simple arm and leg stretches. She let out fake monster groans and growls, stretching up and on her toes like a bear. The kids squealed and copied her, showing their small teeth and the occasional gap.

The parents began lining up at the desk, checking in with the other instructor to pick up their child. Clarke moved to the side, letting the parents find their kids.

“Alright guys, your parents are waiting for you! I’ll see you next week!” Lexa waved to the group in front of her. 

A chorus of tiny voices yelled back, “Bye Lexa!” All the children ran over to their parents, their small feet echoing on the floor. They picked up their bags and took a mini bottle of water that was waiting for them on the desk. 

They all gave Lexa one last wave before they each followed their parents out the door. A few minutes later the studio was empty, aside from Clarke, Lexa and the other instructor.

“Alright, I’m gonna head out too, Lexa.” A shaggy haired guy stood up from the desk and started putting on a jacket.

He looked up at Clarke, “Can I help you?”

Clarke smiled and pointed at Lexa, “Dance lesson.”

“Ahh, gotcha. Well, you’re in good hands.” He tapped his fingers on the desk and then hopped over. 

“Later Lexa!”

“Bye Bryan,” she called out. “See you tomorrow.”

Clarke placed her bag on one of the shelves and tightened her shoelaces. Taking a quick swig of water, she bounced up as Lexa walked over to her.

“You’re really great with them,” Clarke complimented, remembering how happy Lexa was dancing around with the children. 

Lexa looked up, a dizzying smile on her face. “You think? It’s one of my favorite classes to teach. I was really shy when I was that age and didn’t make friends that easy. It wasn’t until I started dancing that I came out of my shell.”

Clarke imagined a little Lexa with big green eyes and a braid, learning to dance. She couldn’t help but melt at the scene.

“I knew that when I opened the studio, children’s classes were a must.”

“They all absolutely love you, so I think you made the right decision.” 

“Thanks,” Lexa bowed her head shyly. 

“Unfortunately, a toddler class also means messes,” she said, pointing to her shirt.

Clarke nodded along, “You’re definitely right there.”

“I’ll be right back and then we’ll get to our session okay?”

“Sounds good!” Clarke responded, watching as Lexa walked off into a room towards the back.

Sounds good. Freestyle right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, if you'd like to see more of this let me know! I know it's been over a year but still!

**Author's Note:**

> You guys can find me at (clexuh.tumblr) come rant about clexa to me or just say hi (:
> 
> Let me know what you think? Thanks for reading!


End file.
